Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor has confirmed that he will not contest for a vice-president’s position in the upcoming PAS elections next month, opting instead to defend his seat on the party’s central leadership committee for the 2025-2027 term.
In remarks reported by Utusan Malaysia, Sanusi emphasized his decision during an interaction with reporters on the sidelines of the Merdeka boat parade, held in conjunction with Merdeka Day celebrations in Alor Setar today. “I will not contest the vice-president’s post, only the central leadership committee member position,” he stated clearly.
Sanusi refrained from providing further details on the reasons behind his choice to forgo the vice-presidency nomination.
Yesterday, Free Malaysia Today (FMT) cited a source indicating that Sanusi was anticipated to reject the delegates’ nominations for the vice-presidential race scheduled for next month.
Candidates who secured sufficient nominations from party delegates were required to notify the PAS election committee of their intent to participate by 5 p.m. yesterday. A source close to the two-term menteri besar suggested that Sanusi might limit his bid to the central leadership committee, recalling that he had topped the vote count for that position two years ago.
The source further explained that Sanusi had no desire to challenge the three incumbent vice-presidents—Idris Ahmad, Amar Abdullah, and Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar—given their strong performance in their roles. The PAS election committee had earlier announced four eligible candidates for the vice-presidential posts: Sanusi, Samsuri, Idris, and Amar.
As PAS’s election director, Sanusi commands significant support within the party, including endorsement from its spiritual leader, Hashim Jasin, for the Jeneri assemblyman’s nomination.
Nevertheless, Sanusi indicated last month that he felt unprepared for the vice-presidential role, believing others were more qualified. This marks the second time he has declined to vie for the position, having similarly opted out during the party’s internal elections in 2023.
